Beef Barley Soup: Easy Sunday Supper Recipe

Hearty and super simple, this beef barley soup recipe goes from stovetop to table in about an hour! Perfect for busy weeknight dinners or Sunday Supper. Semi-homemade and delicious!

Years ago, my husband came home one day and told me about this amazing beef barley soup he had at our local Elks. Keep in mind, this is a guy who, when you ask him what he thinks of ANYTHING, his answer is “It’s fine.” He just doesn’t get excited about too many things. Anyway, I started asking questions about the soup. What was in it? Was it thick? Was it all barley or just a little barley? He was no help at all so I decided to just make up my own recipe and see what he thought. Instead of “It’s fine,” I got “That was pretty good.” So I’ve been making this simple and hearty beef barley soup ever since.

In the bottom of a soup pot, swirl olive oil to almost cover the bottom.

Add stew meat, carrots, celery and onion.

Cook and stir until beef is well browned.

Add salt and pepper to taste.

Add cartons of beef broth.

Bring to a boil.

Add barley.

Lower heat and simmer for 1 hour stirring occasionally so barley doesn't sink to the bottom.

Recipe Notes

I find barley in the rice section of my grocery store.

This beef barley soup is something I can make at the last minute (it takes about an hour from start to finish) and it looks like I’ve been cooking all day. It really is so easy but tastes like it’s made completely from scratch. One variation that is very good is to substitute tomato juice for one carton of the beef broth. I really like it that way but my husband prefers the basic version…so that’s what I usually make.

Ann, the soup looks great, but what I am laughing about is that your husband and mine are identical when it comes to food. Everything is “Fine” (good), Fair (not so good) or Pretty Good (better than average). It is extremely rare that he raves about anything! I’ll pin the soup, and hope for a “pretty good!”

Ha! I had to laugh at your description of your husband — he sounds just like mine! You know you hit the jackpot when they say something is good! lol The soup looks delicious and I will definitely give it a try. I’m always looking for something new to add to our rotation! :)

This soup looks wonderful…..very hearty and definitely perfect for this time of year. Wish I had the ingredients in the house two days ago when I couldn’t get out because of the snow storm and icy roads. Snow in North Carolina…..not a very common sight, but it happens every so often. My grandsons were out of school for 3 days. Wow, were they thrilled. I’ll have to try this soup recipe. Thanks.

Yum! I am making this soup this weekend. My friend brought some to school to share years ago and I loved it. Made a delicious ham and bean soup Tuesday. Homemade soups are the best. Thank you for the recipe.

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